At one time or another, you've probably wanted to show friends or family how to e-mail photos, format a resume, or do other tasks on the computer. But unless they live nearby, it's not easy. There are a few good applications out there for creating easy-to-follow video tutorials to walk them through, such as Macromedia Captivate, Qarbon's ViewletBuilder and ViewletCam, and TechSmith's Camtasia Studio. But these cost $149 to $499, which is more than most people want to spend for this purpose. Fortunately Microsoft offers a free, functional alternativeWindows Media Encoder.

Windows Media Encoder can capture the screen as you perform a task such as editing a photo; in fact, almost anything you can do on the screen can be recorded as a video. You can even narrate the demo as you record the steps you're performing. It's surprisingly easy to achieve good results in minutes. Probably the only reason the program isn't more widely used is that few people know it exists. You can download it for free from: www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx.

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Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
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